


Just as you are

by xDestinyIsCallingx



Category: Gilmore Girls, Ten Inch Hero
Genre: AU, Crossover, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Protective Dean, Protectiveness, hurt priestly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-19
Updated: 2015-08-20
Packaged: 2018-04-15 12:33:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,237
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4606905
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xDestinyIsCallingx/pseuds/xDestinyIsCallingx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Not beta read. But I think it's pretty good. Uh,a combination of being bored and having way too much time with my imagination. Overall, I hope it's good and that you like it. Not that I think it's shit of course, this is one of the better ones.</p>
    </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Not beta read. But I think it's pretty good. Uh,a combination of being bored and having way too much time with my imagination. Overall, I hope it's good and that you like it. Not that I think it's shit of course, this is one of the better ones.

Together they were electric. A fire that burned hot and wild no matter the elements around them. 

Then how was it that they weren't together. Neither had felt as strong about anyone or anything like this. But more than the good feelings the bad prevailed. Fear, pain, uncertainty. All these things kept them from uniting heart and soul.

Sitting at home in the dark, Priestly sat on the sofa in front of the TV with an arm around his shoulders. The arm wasn't connected to the person he wanted draped over him though. The person he wanted to be held by though was at his own home, maybe also watching TV, maybe in bed. He smiled to himself, possibly dreaming of him. His smile fell when the person next to him moved reminding Priestly of his presence. He didn't deserve to be thought about like that or to receive the love he knew was felt towards him. Dean. Dean was that person who loved him and Priestly, him. Dean would always say he deserved better, deserved the world...

"Why are you still with him?" 

It wasn't like he didn't expect the question. Heck, he'd been waiting for it ever since this thing first happened between them. 

Dean pressed in closer behind him, moulding their bodies together. Lying in bed together like this had become a comforting recurrence. 

They sought it out. Craved each others presence, addicted to the feeling it brought when they collided.

He wanted to say 'I don't know.' 'I just want to be with you, that's all I want.' The love and affection he felt for Dean and it's intensity scared him.

"He doesn't treat you right." Dean's voice brought Priestly out of his thoughts. "Not like I do, will, for as long as you let me." 

Priestly's heart always surged when Dean said things like that. Insinuating that they'd be together.

"I know." He sighed, closing his eyes. Deans hand slid up his chest and neck, cupping Priestly's face to turn it to look at him.

"Then why?" 

Priestly opened his eyes to meet Deans, overwhelmed by the love he saw there.

"I don't know." Dean made to move away. Priestly felt panic rise within him. "Please, Dean. Don't..."

"Don't what?" Dean interrupted him. "Sometimes I feel like a fool. You come to me like this, and by god I love it, when you let me hold you and have you and when we're together like this, I forget. Forget about that jerk... forget that I'm not the one you really want." 

Priestly felt tears prick at the corner of his eyes. Watching Dean take a shuddering breath.

"Dean..." His voice wobbled as he swallowed the thickness he felt in his throat. "I've never felt happier when I'm held by you. Nothing makes me feel more whole, when you take me and tell me some of the sweetest things I've ever heard."

Dean took a deep breath, turning his head once again to face Priestly. 

"I can't keep doing this." 

Priestly's breath caught in his throat. "Dean? W-what do you mean?"

Dean closed his eyes tight, pinching the bridge of his nose with his left hand in frustration. 

"Priestly, what we have, this attraction we have for each other, this gravitation, it's mutual. But for me it's more than that and when this is over and you go back to him it just... it... UGH!" 

Dean growled out in frustration as he pulled the covers off of him to sit on the edge of the bed, hands gripping the edges, back hunched.

"It hurts too much." 

It was barely audible, but Priestly caught it. He couldn't explain why he always ended up choosing someone else over Dean. He never wanted to leave and every time he got back to his place, he couldn't wait to return to Dean's arms again. Maybe it was the comfort and security of old feelings that were more of a safety net than anything else. There was nothing really keeping him there any more. But Dean knew the main reason why Priestly was still with his boyfriend at all. 

He was possessive, overly so. Priestly hadn't noticed at first. He never showed it. But when he started getting close with Dean, even before this thing between them happened, he had started acting weird. Saying things that made him question himself and even trying to forbid him from seeing Dean. 

That had led to their first big fight.

They'd fought before. But they were petty and ended after a few heated words were said and then once they cooled back off to normal. If not the same day, the next. This fight had been different, it got heated quickly and he had actually struck Priestly. Ironically, his desire to separate him from Dean had only cemented that fate, driving Priestly into his arms.

Priestly lay there now, reminiscing about their first time. Him arriving at Dean's door wet from the rain, face tear streaked. Dean had ushered him in asking what was wrong, he had fallen into his arms, trembling from the cold. When he had relayed to Dean what had happened, it took him begging Dean not go round their and kill his boyfriend. 

Dean had cooled off enough to comfort Priestly and look after him. He remembered when he'd led him to his bedroom. Leaving momentarily to get a towel from the bathroom. Coming back and draping it over his shoulders while his hands rubbed his arms down.

"We should get you out of those wet clothes." His voice then had been so soft and deep it made shivers run down him, this time not from the cold. Dean's hands had slown to kneading circles on Priestly's shoulders. 

Their eyes were trained on each others as he let the towel fall off his shoulders. Dropping forgotten to the floor. Dean's hands slowly travelled down Priestly's body to the hem of his t-shirt. Eyes still locked and breathing the only sound. His fingers hooked into his t-shirt and peeled it painstakingly slow from his damp torso. Priestly lifted his arms slowly letting him pull it off. Dean dropped the shirt by the towel. When his hands rested on the top of his jeans, thumb skimming the button. Priestly's eyes fluttered shut, lips parting marginally. Barely above a whisper Dean had asked permission. 

"Can I?" 

Those words were spoken so carefully, giving him all the power to pull away. Priestly nodded, not trusting his voice not to give away his building desire. Dean easily popped open his jeans, pushing them down past his hips, leaving on his briefs. He let Priestly to step out of them, temporarily disconnecting their bodies. Once Priestly was just in his briefs he once again sought the warmth that irradiated from Dean. Priestly looked Dean up and down slowly.

"You're wearing too many clothes." Priestly's face heated instantly, realizing what he just said. "I mean... um... that was really forward... Shit!" He was stopped with a large hand in the middle of his broad chest. 

Slight tremors spanned his whole body at just that.

"I think after everything, being a little forward is something welcome."

Dean's hand slid up his chest, up his neck and stopped. Resting on the side of his face, thumb gently stroking his cheek. 

Priestly smiled shyly.

Dean stepped back then. Smiling slightly as he caught sight of Priestly's hand, that was by his side, reach for him for a second before quickly retracting it back to his side. He ducked his head so Priestly wouldn't see. 

He took hold of the edges of the jumper, pulling it up with the t-shirt that was underneath. Priestly just watched as inch by inch, tan, muscular, taut skin was revealed. His face heated at the dawning realisation of what was going to happen hit him. As Dean was working on his owns jeans, he looked into Priestly's coloured face.

"Priestly? Are you OK? We don't have to do this. I'm sorry, I'm taking advantage of you... I've been so stupid. Let me just..." Dean scrabbled for their fallen clothes. Priestly snapped out of his thoughts and grabbed Dean's wrist.

"No! I want to, I do. It's just... I guess I got a little overwhelmed." Priestly ducked his head embarrassed. Dean smiled gently.

"Tell me to stop if you need me to." Dean crowded Priestly's space, warm hands coming to rest on his hips. 

They stood their a moment in the semi-darkness. Their silhouettes barely illuminated by the lamps, foreheads touching. Priestly lifted his head to stare into hazel eyes, their breaths mingled ghosting over each others faces. Priestly angled his head up, eyes flicking to Dean's mouth. Dean broke the suspension. Lowering his head to connect his lips with Priestly's, whose hands travelled up Dean's forearms coming up to cup his jaw. Breaking apart, they smiled stupidly at each other. Dean's eyes raked Priestly's body. Appreciating every inch.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love your piercings?" Dean bent again to lick from Priestly's chin to his bottom lip, passing over his piercing. Sliding it into his mouth as Priestly gasped.

"You do, huh?" Priestly managed to get out between heated kisses.

"Oh yeah. Everything about you drives me crazy." Dean gripped him tighter, pressing their bodies closer.

Priestly melted into Dean and moaned incredulously. Dean growled, pulling Priestly by the waistband of his briefs towards the bed. When the back of his legs hit the bed, he sat on the edge, pulling Priestly to stand between them. He looked up from his seated position, running his hands up Priestly's torso. Bringing them behind him to splay them out on Priestly's lower back. Priestly looked down at Dean, hands on his shoulders. He pushed Dean onto his back, climbing on the bed to straddle him. Dean propped himself up on his forearm. Meeting Priestly half way for a searing kiss.  
That night had been the best of his life and every time after that. This time though it was coming to a head. Dean moving pulled him back to the present. Dean stood, his lean body bathed in the light streaming in from the window.

"Are you going to go? You could stay, with me. Let that bastard figure it out for himself that you want nothing more to do with him." Dean's fists clenched. Priestly didn't know what to say. He never did when Dean brought this up, he was a coward he knew, but he was scared.

"What are so afraid of, Priestly? That he'll hurt you?" 

Dean scoffed. "Just let him try." 

Dean looked at Priestly then. "Can I tell you something?" Dean came back to the bed, settled into the covers, leaned on his side and placed his hand on Priestly's forearm, stroking up and down softly. Priestly shivered at Dean's touch. "I've never felt this way about anyone before. Everything about you is addictive." 

Priestly smiled. "Ditto."

"Then stay."

"It's not that easy."

"Of course it is. Say you'll stay and that's it."

Priestly felt a little bit of anger prickle.

"You don't get it do you? The risk I take every time I come here. If he ever found out, how things would get so much worse..." Dean held up his hand.

"Whoa, what do you mean worse? Has he... does he hurt you?" Now Dean was the angry one. 

Priestly had now deflated, his heart beating a mile a minute. "He does, doesn't he!? I thought maybe he just neglected you, which wasn't okay, but attacking you! That piece of shit!" 

Priestly was panicking.

"It's not like that!" 

Dean looked incredulous.

"Please tell me you're not defending him? He's a low life that stopped deserving you a long time ago, heck he never did!" Priestly closed his eyes, Dean cupped his face. 

"Do you love him?"

His eyes snapped back open to meet sad hazel eyes.

"What?"

Dean huffed in frustration and sat up, covers pooling around his waist.

"Do you love him?" Priestly felt at a loss for words. With no answer Dean nodded his head as if confirming something to himself. "Do you love me?" 

Dean forced himself to look at Priestly, who now felt a cold, sharp stab to his heart.

"Dean... why are you?... What we have, how could you even ask that question?" Anger flashed across his features.

"Maybe because what we have here" 

He gestured between them 

"Is nothing more than a hook up that only happens when you decide. When your boyfriend is more of an ass hole than usual. And by god I take it because when I have you and you touch me it's intoxicating. I can't get enough. I fool myself every time thinking that the next time you'll show up it'll be to tell me that this time you're here to give me everything."

"I give you everything!" Something flared in Priestly.

"No! No, you don't. I don't have your love, I don't have you. It hurts too much knowing you'll go back, cause you will. And I hold my tongue, but not any more! You deserve better. I'm not saying I'm fucking perfect, but Jesus Christ Priestly! I would never and you have to believe me NEVER treat you like that, Fuck! If tomorrow you told me you wanted to drop everything and never see me again, I'd let you go. Not because I'd want to, but because if you're not happy. No matter how much it's kill me inside, it would feel a damned sight less painful than knowing I'm what's making you unhappy!"

Priestly was silent. Shocked at Dean's outburst and overwhelmed at the absolute flush of hot white emotion pumping through him.

"I love you, Priestly." Dean's face was so open, it made Priestly want to cry. 

He was literally baring everything for him to see.

"Dean... I..." His voice cracked, the weight of what he was feeling, straining his throat. 

Dean bowed his head, eyes shining with tears he begrudged to let fall.

"You should go."

Priestly's heart was going to hammer out of his chest.

"No..." His voice was weak, he couldn't let Dean do this. "Dean, wait."

"Just do something for me, yeah?" Dean's eyes met with his. "Don't go back to him. Do it for me, dammit, do it for yourself!"

Priestly's heart broke at the tear that fell down Dean's face, ignoring his own.

"Dean..."

"Please." Both their voices broke. "Priestly, please just go."

With a weak nod, he gathered his scattered clothes. He tried to meet Dean's eyes, but he didn't look up from the spot on the floor. He dressed quickly and with a heavy heart he left the apartment.


	2. Chapter 2

That had been three weeks ago. 

Neither had broken and contacted the other. Priestly sighed and pushed the weight of the man who had fallen asleep next to him off. He got up to get a drink from the kitchen, passing the phone that hung on the kitchen wall, he eyed it as he grabbed a beer from the fridge.

He leant against the side board and stared at the phone, taking a long drag from his beer. 

He didn't know when or why he decided to move and dial the familiar number. But once the deep, soothing voice reached his ears and made his heart constrict in his chest, he didn't question it.

"Hello?" 

Priestly couldn't speak. What would he say? He heard Dean sigh, probably about to hang up.

"Wait!" Silence, a beat.

"Priestly?"

"Yeah."

"Why are you calling, Priestly?" He sighed.

"I don't know." 

Another sigh. "Priestly, I can't..."

"I just wanted to hear your voice, I miss you." 

A pause. "Me too."

Priestly smiled to himself. God, Dean had no idea how much he missed him.

"How are you?"

"I'm doing fine." I'd be better if you were with me, Dean thought. "How about you?" Are you there? He wanted to ask.

"Fine." I can't be without you any more, is what he wanted to say. 

"Dean... I..."

"So it's Dean?"

Priestly jumped at the third party.

"Is that who you're talking too?"

Priestly's heart jumped up into his throat, leaving him speechless.

"Priestly? What's wrong?" Dean's voice floated through the receiver into the icy silence.

"Mike. Yes, it's Dean. But we were just talking-"

He was cut off by having the phone slapped out of his hand and being shoved up against the wall.

"Priestly?!" Dean shouted down the line. He heard scuffling and the line going dead. Oh God.

Priestly clasped the forearms that connected to hands fisted in his shirt.

"You think I don't know about you and him? Where you've been going?"

Priestly shook his head.

"Please. Let me go."

"What? So you can go back and run to him?" 

Priestly couldn't take this any more.

"Yeah, I will. Do you know why? Because I love him!"

The look he received sent chills through him. The chuckle made him tense.

"You don't know what love is! What I give you..."

"Isn't love!" He cut Mike off. "What we have, had, wasn't love! And you're right I didn't know what love was, not until I met him!"

The punch that knocked his head hard back against the wall, shocked him.

"He's nothing! No one. He wouldn't of even looked twice at you if I hadn't of changed you." 

Priestly felt dizzy from hitting his head so hard and he wondered if that's what made him sick or the words.

"You're wrong." He said defiantly.

"You think if you still look like you did, the piercings, hair changing colour every other day and fucking make-up that he'd still want you?"

Priestly smiled.

"Yeah, he would. He did. You know why? Because he loves me too, he couldn't give a shit how I looked."

"Then where is he, huh? Where is he now?"

Priestly swallowed.

"He's not here because of me. I couldn't believe that I was worthy of him, that he would want me. I was scared of what was happening between us. Not any more, I won't be treated like shit! I won't change everything that makes me who I am for ANYONE!"

He stiffened at the laugh he received.

"Do you know what? You really weren't worth the fucking time and do you know something else?" He pulled Priestly close, noses almost touching. "When I've finished with you. I'm gonna show your lover boy what he gets when he gets involved with the likes of you, see if he thinks you're worth the pain that's coming his way."

Priestly's eyes widened.

"Don't you touch him."

"What are you going to do? Hmmmmm?"

Priestly jerked quickly, catching Mike off guard. He pushed him with everything he had, sending him reeling.

"Fighting back are we?"

Priestly stared him down.

"I won't let you hurt Dean."

"That would be threatening if you weren't so pathetic."

"Priestly!" A loud bang on the door made them both turn. No. Dean was here.

"Priestly! Let me in! Are you hurt?!" Dean pounded on the door. If that bastard had hurt Priestly. He heard footsteps.

"No don't!" Priestly's pleading voice riled him. 

The door swung open to a smirking Mike and a panic stricken Priestly.

"Priestly?" Dean looked at him worryingly.

"Why did you come?" Priestly was tense and he didn't mean to sound mad at Dean but he was afraid.

"Does it really matter? He's here now and I for one would like to welcome him in." Mike seemed almost cheerfully, Priestly knew better.

"No! Dean, go. Please, this is between us."

"But he's the biggest part in this whole scene, he lured you in."

Dean turned his gaze to Mike, his expression dark with anger.

"He's a grown man! If he didn't want me, not even a little bit he would never have come to me. If I'm honest I wish we had come together under different circumstances, I wanted to be more than a second choice."

"Dean..."

"Let me finish..."

"Please do."

Dean shot Mike a glare.

"I know this is going to sound pathetic and desperate, but to be honest I don't really care. Even though I knew I only had you for a night and all I was there for was to comfort you and I don't know, maybe make you forget for awhile? I was content enough to just be that for you, whatever I could have of you, for however long." 

Dean looked at Priestly sincerely, eyes full of love, laying all his cards on the table. 

Priestly's eyes filled at Dean's confession.

"This is all very touching, but I'm afraid I'm still going to have to beat the living day lights out of you." He grabbed Dean by his jacket, dragging him into the apartment and shoving him up against the wall.

"Please!" Priestly begged.

"Shut up! It's your fault he's here!"

Dean tried to pry Mike's hands from his jacket, but his grip was iron. Frustrated that there was no other way of getting out of the situation, he head butted Mike. Taking him by surprise and making him stumble backwards holding his nose. 

Dean's forehead hurt like a bitch but he kept up appearances. Priestly shouted out in surprise and went to Dean's side instead. Dean was surprised but pleased.

"You bastard! You fucking piece of shit!" Blood was dripping through Mike's hands.

"You don't get to treat him like you do and expect me to just stand by and watch. It doesn't matter who feels what for who, he's my friend or at the least a very good acquaintance." 

He winked at Priestly and smirked. Priestly gulped, Dean wasn't letting him go was he?

"Why bother? What's so special about him that you'd go to all this trouble to defend him? I mean what he looked like before..."

"Yes, I can see that you've influenced a change." Dean looked over Priestly's uncoloured hair, his clean, piercing free face. He could still see the tattoo peering out from the edge of his shirt though. Priestly coloured considerably at Dean's scrutiny.

"Now, listen. He's coming with me, to stay or not but definitely away from you. You can try and stop him, but from the looks of you you wouldn't get very far without getting knocked on your ass." Priestly held back a smile. "And I really don't want to fight no matter how much of an ass hole you are. So let me call you an ambulance and have be done with it." Dean ushered Priestly to the door, only looking back to see the pitiful form of his former boyfriend. He held no sympathy or remorse when Dean called an ambulance, as Mike sat down on the sofa holding tissues to his nose, moaning in pain. He felt no panic as the door closed and was led away from a life Priestly had felt trapped in. 

When outside Dean scuffed his shoe and looked completely different from the confident and strong man he just saw moments ago.

"Dean?"

Priestly wasn't sure what to make of his behaviour change. Dean brought back his shoulders and looked into Priestly's eyes. Hazel meeting piercing green.

"What are you gonna do?" 

Priestly looked stunned at the question.

"Now that you've left I mean."

He looked at Dean's face unable to read his expression.

"I don't know, that was all rather sudden."

He tried a laugh but it fell flat when Dean's expression didn't change.

"Did you mean it?" Priestly asked.

It was Dean turn to look surprised.

"Mean what?"

Priestly fidgeted on the spot, but found courage and continued.

"That it didn't matter. Feelings, I mean. Do you... I mean, am I?" He growled in frustration. "Do I still mean something to you?"

Dean almost tripped over his own answer he responded so fast.

"Priestly, you have no idea. Every moment since I asked you to leave that night, I can't get you out of my system. I wanted to call, I thought because you went back again, I was finished with."

Priestly hated he made Dean feel that way. 

"Dean it was the same with me. You have been the best thing to happen to me, but I was so scared I couldn't see what was right in front of me."

Dean nodded.

"Yeah, I know."

Priestly smiled but it froze when he remembered something else.

"Dean, do you still want me?"

Dean looked confused.

"Of course."

Priestly gestured to himself.

"Even when I look like this. I don't have my piercings, or my hair styled, or eye liner... I look different."

Dean stepped into Priestly's space and leant down to press his lips to Priestly's.

"I don't care what package you come in. I mean, yeah, I found you sexy as hell before and guess what? I still do now. But what's most important is that you are happy and whatever that entails with or without sexy piercings, then OK."

Priestly grinned and grabbed Dean's face and pulled it down to meet him for a hard and thorough kiss. They broke apart breathless, smiling blindingly at each other.

"Come home with me?" Dean asked.

Priestly kissed once more, roughly, taking away what little breath they had regained.

"Yes." He whispered against Dean's mouth as their hands intertwined. Dean hailed a cab and they tumbled in the back, impatient to get home.


End file.
